Substitutes for yeast

Yeast substitutes

Instant, active dry and fresh yeast are the same organism in different forms. Swap them by the packet and change how you add them.

What yeast does

Living leavener that ferments sugars so bread dough rises and develops flavour. Instant, active dry and fresh (compressed) yeast are the same organism with different strength and handling. One packet is ¼ oz, 2¼ tsp or 7 g of dry yeast.

Quick reference

SubstituteAmount
Instant yeast (in place of active dry) Sources vary1 packet instant (quick-rising) yeastper 1 packet yeast
Active dry yeast (in place of instant) 1¼ packet active dry yeastper 1 packet yeast
Fresh (compressed) yeast Sources vary0.6 oz fresh (compressed) cake yeastper 1 packet yeast

When the substitute matters

  • Recipe says active dry, you have instant: same packet, mixed straight into the flour.
  • Recipe says instant, you have active dry: bloom it in warm liquid first and allow extra rising time.
  • Fresh cake yeast: one 0.6 oz cake per packet of dry yeast.
  • Overnight fridge rise: Land O'Lakes says not to swap in quick-rising yeast.

The substitutes, in detail

Instant yeast (in place of active dry)

Amount: 1 packet instant (quick-rising) yeast per 1 packet yeast

Sources vary

Per packet (¼ oz, 2¼ tsp) of active dry yeast. King Arthur swaps 1:1, and Red Star's chart uses the same 2¼ tsp of either dry type. America's Test Kitchen and Bob's Red Mill use about 25% less instant yeast.

  1. Mix the instant yeast straight into the dry ingredients.

Best for

  • bread
  • rolls
  • pizza dough

Not for

  • doughs that rise in the refrigerator (Land O'Lakes)

What changes

Starts a little faster than active dry, so check the dough rather than the clock.

  • vegan
  • dairy-free
  • egg-free
Sources: King Arthur Baking·Red Star Yeast·Land O'Lakes·Bob's Red Mill·America's Test Kitchen

Active dry yeast (in place of instant)

Amount: 1¼ packet active dry yeast per 1 packet yeast

Per packet (1/4 oz, 2 1/4 tsp) of instant yeast: about 2 3/4 tsp active dry. Bob's Red Mill gives 1 1/4 tsp active dry per 1 tsp instant; America's Test Kitchen says use 25% more. Red Star treats the dry types as interchangeable.

  1. Bloom the active dry yeast in warm liquid from the recipe before adding it to the dough.
  2. Allow a little extra time for the dough to rise.

Best for

  • bread
  • rolls
  • pizza dough

What changes

Slightly slower to start; allow a little extra rising time.

  • vegan
  • dairy-free
  • egg-free
Sources: America's Test Kitchen·Bob's Red Mill·America's Test Kitchen

Fresh (compressed) yeast

Amount: 0.6 oz fresh (compressed) cake yeast per 1 packet yeast

Sources vary

Per packet (¼ oz) of active dry yeast. Land O'Lakes and the Nebraska–UC list use one 0.6 oz cake; Red Star uses ⅔ oz. By weight, Bob's Red Mill uses 2½ times (active dry) to 3 times (instant), and America's Test Kitchen roughly 2 times. Going the other way, one 0.6 oz cake equals 1 packet, or a scant 2½ tsp, of active dry yeast.

  1. Crumble the fresh yeast into the liquid or dough.

Best for

  • bread
  • rolls
  • enriched doughs

What changes

Same rise. Fresh yeast is mostly water and keeps only a short time.

  • vegan
  • dairy-free
  • egg-free
Sources: Land O'Lakes·University of California Cooperative Extension (San Joaquin County)·Red Star Yeast·North Dakota State University Extension·Bob's Red Mill

How we source this

Each swap is backed by at least two independent sources, including a test kitchen, university extension service or product maker. The amounts replace one unit of the original ingredient and do not work in reverse. See the full source list.

Sources

Related substitute pages